The Real Presence of the Eucharist, central to the Catholic faith, was featured in multiple ways during a special four-day Lenten experience hosted at St. Paul the Apostle, Annville. It featured the life of St. Carlo Acutis, the Italian teenager who died in 2006 at age 15 and who was canonized by Pope Leo XIV on Sept. 7, 2025.
St. Carlo’s life was marked by an exceptional devotion to the Holy Eucharist and a great fervor to spread the faith. He used technology and his talents to glorify God.
“Sainthood is not just an ancient practice that happened years and years ago,” said Father Matt Cannon, pastor. “It is happening right here and now, and St. Carlo is the testament to that witness. You can have a PlayStation, Pokémon cards, and dress up as Spider-Man for Halloween…and be a saint like Carlo. You don’t have to be an adult to be a saint, you can also be a teenager.”
Plans for the special event began a year ago by the St. Paul Pastoral Council to highlight the life of St. Carlo to the youth and many young families in the parish. They reached out to the Malvern Retreat House in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, which hosts the only permanent shrine to St. Carlo in the world.
With help from Malvern, the event March 4-7 included the display of a first-class relic of the “millennial saint,” time for veneration and intercessory prayer, and remarks from guest speaker Jeffrey Daley, curator of the relic. The relic – locks of St. Carlo’s hair – was presented to Malvern by the saint’s mother during a visit there several years ago. This was among its first appearances in the Diocese of Harrisburg.
Also at the parish was a 120-panel traveling photo exhibit which displayed 136 approved and documented Eucharistic miracles in 20+ countries over the past 1,700 years. The displays were created from the actual research and designs by St. Carlo, who digitized them for a website he created, Miracles List: The Eucharistic Miracles of the World.
Father Cannon observed, “St. Carlo’s story and his witness all revolve around the Eucharist, the greatest gift that God has given us because the Eucharist is Jesus himself,” adding, “once St. Carlo received his first Holy Communion, he never missed Mass again.”
Additional details from the short life of St. Carlo were shared with more than 100 participants during the evening presentation on March 6 by Daley. He shared several anecdotes and key background details on the saint’s faith experience growing up in Milan, his many visits to Assisi, and how it shaped his path to sainthood.
“St. Francis was a guiding light for Carlo,” he said, adding that the teen desired and his family later received approval for his burial at St. Mary Major Church in Assisi, the former church where St. Francis famously renounced his family’s wealth at the start of his order. It is now a pilgrimage site for St. Carlo.
Daley said St. Carlo had a deep devotion not only to the Eucharist but also the Blessed Mother. “He saw her as a loving mother who leads us to Jesus.”
And, at the age of 9, he explained, Carlo was reading textbooks to learn computer coding, riding his bike and enjoying online gaming applications with his peers, but at the same time wanting to share with them his love of Jesus. He sought permission from his pastor to teach catechism classes, asking “How do we get them interested in a relationship with Jesus?,” to which the pastor responded, “Teach them about the True Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.”
This is what initiated Carlo’s research into Eucharistic Miracles and which he ultimately tied with his computer prowess to build a website devoted to the Eucharist and to Marian apparitions. This led to him being described as “patron saint of the Internet” and “God’s influencer.” The website continues to this day and has been translated into 20 languages.
Since the presentation was hosted by St. Paul’s Parish, Daley also shared some comparisons to the evangelical work of the two saints though born 2,000 years apart, noting, “St. Paul used letters, travel and public preaching to spread the Good News… Carlo used the internet, websites and digital media. The message was the same, only the tools changed.”
Christina Mazalewski, Parish Council President and a mother of three children, said she appreciated the message of St. Carlo, seeing the Eucharistic Miracles display, and hearing his life story from the speaker. “The teenagers are so intrigued by him as he’s so relatable,” she said.
Casey You, a parishioner and third grade teacher, said she was impressed with the Eucharistic Miracle photo displays that St. Carlo researched and designed. “He would get an A-plus if those were a school assignment,” she remarked.
Another parishioner, Lori Gonzalez, said, “I love the mystery of the Eucharist and the panel displays were impressive. I really can’t understand why some Catholics have fallen away from this great gift. And Carlo, he’s so relatable – he’s of this generation.”
Daley invited the audience to download the Eucharistic Miracles app from the Malvern Retreat House, which explores documented Eucharistic miracles from around the world drawing from the research and witness of St. Carlo. Through stories, images, and historical context, the app seeks to deepen understanding of the Eucharist and encourage reflection on its central place in the life of the Church. Download the app here: St. Carlo Shrine App.
Learn more: The official shrine of St. Carlo Acutis is within the Malvern Retreat House, 315 S. Warren Ave., Malvern, PA 19355. Call 610-644-0400 or visit www.malvernretreat.com for information on visiting hours and/or arranging a traveling lecture and visit with the relic at your parish.
(Photos and article by Patrick Brennan, a freelance reporter for The Catholic Witness.)
By Patrick Brennan, The Catholic Witness
